Push button electric switch



Oct. 10, 1933. E. RATNER PUSH BUTTON ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed May 24, 1928 INVENTOR fia/mer' Patented Oct. 10, 1933 UNITED STATES PUSH BUTTON ELECTRIC SWITCH Elias Ratner, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignonby mesne assignments, to Leviton Manufacturing Company, Inc., Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 24, 1928. Serial No. 230,129

15 Claims; :(c1. 173-355) The present invention relates to pushbutton electric switches and is more particularly directed to a form of electric switch suitable for use in lamp sockets.

An object'of the present invention is to provide an electric switch which is made out of a small number of rugged, easily assembled parts, each of which is of such a nature that it may be cheaply constructed and readily assembled to make up the complete switch structure.

A further object of'the invention'is to provide an electric switch in which the oscillating mov.

able contact is pivoted directly on the porcelain base, which carries the fixed contacts and socket contacts. i

A further object of the invention'is to provide a terminal for switches of this character which forms an integral part of the switch and against which the movable contact member is brought when the switch is in a closed position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a movable operating member which is guided-in one of the fixed contacts so as to facilitate as;

sembly of the parts. j w

A further object of the invention is to provide a socket switchinwhich the socket shell, the hired and movable contacts the Wire receiving terminals and insulating parts are all held to-' gether by a pair of screws. r i v The accompanying drawing shows, for purposes of illustrating the invention, one of the many possible embodiments in which the invention may take form,-it being understood that the drawing is illustrative of the invention rather than limiting the same.

In the drawing: 7 Figure 1 is an elevational view of a lamp socket switch made up according to the present invention; a

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same; Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

' Figure 5 is an exploded view showing several of the parts; and a I Figure 6 is a perspective View of the insulating base.

The parts shown in the present form of switch are all supported from and attached to an insulating base 10 preferably made of porcelain or A convenient means for fastening these three parts together, is to provide a stamping such as indicated at 13 in Figure 5, which stamping has a semi-circular arc-shaped member, indicated at 14, adaptedto overlie the flange 15 at the base of the lamp socket contact 12. Screws" 16 and 1'7 are passed throughsuitable aligned holes 16' and 1'? in the porcelain base, insulating disk and'lthe flange 15 and are threaded into tapped holes 18'and 19 in the semi-circular member 14.

1 The center-contact 20 is held in place by a hollow rivet2l which passes through the insulating disk 11 and a hole 22in the centerof a U-shaped contact member 24. This rivet securely fastens these three parts together and provides an electrical connection between the center contact and the fixed U-shaped contact. 'As indicated more clearlyin Figure 5, this fixed contact has legs 24 and 25, the lower ends of which are provided with open slots 26 and 27 to bifurcate the legs. These slots provide guide ways for a slider 28 having insulating push buttons'29 on its ends. The other fixed contact of the switch is in the form of a sheet metal stamping 30 indicated more in detail in Figure 5. "This stamping has a laterally projecting portion 31 apertured as indicated at 32, an inwardly projecting contact receive the wire receiving terminal 34. The base.

the porcelain'base 10 and a contractile overthe center spring 47 has its ends connected into holes 48 and 49 in the pivoted contact member and the slider respectively. As shown, the stamping 13 is provided with a downwardly depending member which is threaded to receive a wire clamping screw 51. The porcelain base is provided with a lateral recess 52 to accommodate this wire receiving terminal.

When the switch is assembled as indicated in Figures 3 and 4, the slider 28 may be moved back and forth by means of the push buttons 29. This slider will be guided for reciprocatory movement by the slots 26 and 27 in the U-shaped fixed contact member 23. The movement of the slider may be limited either by the engagement of the buttons with the legs of the contact member or by means of a depression 53 in the bottom of the channel 38 in the porcelain base engaging with the projecting portion 54 of the slider.

When the slider is moved back and forth, it will be obvious that it will carry with it the lower end of the spring 4'7 and that, when the center of the spring passes underneath the center about which the movable contact is pivoted, this contact 'will move from the full line position of Figure 3 to the right so as to bridge across the two fixed contacts, thereby completing the circuit.

The action of the spring 47 will tend to hold the slider in the slots 26and 2'? as well as hold the movable contact either in the circuit closing position or in the circuit opening position.

. While the switch construction has been more particularly described for use in the socket switch, it is of course obvious that many features of construction would be suitable for use in switches of other than the socket switch type.

It is obvious that the invention may be embodied in many forms and constructions, and I wish it to be understood that the particular form shown is but one of the many forms. Various modifications and changes being possible, I do not limit myself in any way with respect thereto.

What is claimed is:

1. In a socket switch, a screw threaded socket shell contact, an insulating disk mounted across the lower inner end of the socket shell contact, a U-shaped metal member underneath the disk,

'. a center contact above the disk, and'a rivet con- 45 ductively connecting the center of the U-shaped member and center contact.

2. In a socket switch, a screw threaded socket shell contact, an insulating disk mounted across the lower inner end of the socket shell contact, a

U-shaped metal member underneath the disk, a center contact above the disk, and a rivet conductively connecting the center of the U-shaped member and center contact, the ends of the legs of the U-shaped member being bifurcated to provide guides.

' '3. In a socket switch, a screw threaded socket shell contact, an insulating disk mounted-across the lower inner end of the socket shell contact, a

U-shaped metal member underneath the disk, a

center contact above the disk, and a rivet conductively connecting the center of the U-shaped member and center contact, the ends of the legs of the U-shaped member being bifurcated to I provide guides, one side of one of the legs of the U being cut away adjacent the disk.

4. An electric switch comprising a pair of insulating members fastened together, a U-shaped metal member fastened to one of the insulating I members and having legs extending toward the 0 5. An electric switch comprising a pair of insulating members fastened together, a U-shaped metal member fastened to one of the insulating members and having legs extending toward the other insulating member, a slider guided and supported in said legs, a pivoted contact member supported in the other insulating member and disposed between the legs of the U, a snap spring connecting the slider and pivoted contact member to move it back and forth, and a fixed contact insulated from the U-shaped member and mounted'in a position to permit the pivoted contact member to bridge the gap separating it from the U-shaped member.

6. An electric switch having two fixed contact members, a movable contact member, an actuating slider guided in one of the fixed contact members, and a snap spring interconnecting the slider and movable contact member.

-7. An electric switch having a fixed contact in the form of a centrally supported U-shaped member whose free ends are slotted, a slider carried in the slotted ends of the contact, a second fixed contact adjacent one of the legs of the U, a pivoted contact movable back and worth between'100 the sides of the U, and an actuating spring connecting the slider and pivoted contact.

8. In an electric switch, a combined fixed contact and wire receiving terminal in the form of a stamping having a laterally extending apertured support, an inwardly extending contact,and a downwardly extending wire clamping member threaded to receive a clamping screw, and a sup porting base having a side recess to receive the inwardly extending contact and the wire clamping member, and a projection entering the aperture.

9. vAn electric switch comprising an insulating base having a channel extending across the base and opening at the upper end of the base, an insulating member carried at the upper end of the a fixed contact member carried by the insulating member and extending into the channel, a second fixed contact extending into the channel and separated from the first fixed contact, a cooperative movable contact for connect- 1'20 ing the two fixed contacts when one position, the movable contact when in the other Iposition engaging the first fixed contact only, and operating means for the movable contact.

10. An electric switch comprising an insulating base having a channel extending across the base and opening at the upper end of the base, an insulating member carried at the upper end of the base, a fixed contact member carried by the insulating member and extending into the channel, a second fixed contact extending into thechannel and separated from the first fixed contact, a cooperative movable contact, pivoted in the insulating base, an actuating slider guided by the first fixed contact and carried in the channel, and an operating spring interconnectingthe slider and the movable contact.

11. An electric switch comprising an insulatmg base having a channel extending across the v base and opening at the upper end of the base, an insulating member carried at the upper end of the base, a U-shaped sheet metal contact member. fixedly carried by the insulating member and extending into the channel, a second fixed contact extending into the channel and separated from the first fixed contact, a cooperative U- shaped movable contact pivoted on the insulating base, an actuating slider guided in the legs of the U-shaped fixed contact and passing between the legs of the movable contact, and an operating spring interconnecting the slider and movable contact for actuating it back and forth between the legs of the U-shaped fixed contact and against the other fixed contact.

12. A socket switch comprising a moulded insulating base, an insulating disk at one end of the base, an inwardly flanged screw shell contact extending outwardly from the disk, a wire receiving terminal member having a portion lying above the flange on the socket shell and a portion carried in a side recess in the base, screws passing through both insulating parts and into the wire receiving terminal member for clamping the parts together, a center contact carried by the insulating disk, a U-shaped contact member attached to the center contact and having legs extending into a cavity in the insulating base, a fixed contact clamped between the insulating base and disk and extending into the cavity adjacent the U-shaped contact member, a pivoted contact adapted in one position to interconnect the two fixed contacts, and operating means for the pivoted contact.

13. A socket switch as defined in claim 12 wherein the operating means includes a slider guided in the legs of the U-shaped fixed contact.

14. A socket switch as defined in claim 12 wherein the pivoted contact is U-shaped and 

